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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23653129">he is</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/quotable/pseuds/quotable'>quotable</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Friends to Lovers, Making Out, Reader-Insert, but it got too long to be just a joke, i cant believe im posting this, i guess, ish, you own a cafe too but thats very minor</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 22:35:30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,852</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23653129</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/quotable/pseuds/quotable</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>the cat wears many hats.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mao Mao Mao/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>he is</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It started when he first flew into the plaza, red cape blazing in the wind like he was a Phoenix. You didn’t know any better then, but still, he was just as enchanting. There was a rash confidence in him that was  born out of practice with that blade, evident with every slash, every jump, every kick.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Was he an angel?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Later on, you find, no, not an angel, but a sheriff. The town’s newly hired sheriff, specifically. He’s always ready for action: he’s quick to jump in front of citizens to block monster attacks, and he also comes around the plaza to settle mundane disputes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s telling Pinky to stop living in other people’s closets when he catches your eye. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Crap.</span>
  </em>
  <span> You’ve been staring. You only see him raise a brow before you quickly glance away. Hopefully he doesn’t think you’re suspicious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p><span>So he arrested you for vending illicit black market armory. </span><em><span>It</span></em> <em><span>was just the look in your eye!</span></em><span> he swears. It takes rational convincing from Badgerclops and a thorough investigation of your basement to prove you’re innocent.</span></p><p>
  <span>After it’s all said and done, you take this as an opportunity to invite him for tea at your cafe. It’s only fair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Mao Mao is a lot more chatty than one would expect. He’s not just the sleek ninja you thought him to be, but a tea connoisseur as well (or so he sounds). It’s a good thing you’re more forward; Mao Mao is a little shy at first, but once you get the ball rolling, he’s ready to go.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tells you about his accomplishments (“</span>
  <em>
    <span>no big deal, </span>
  </em>
  <b>
    <em>but…</em>
  </b>
  <span>”), complaints about his home base (specifically, his roommates), and makes punctuated jokes about the townspeople. His voice is deep and velvety, which is contrary to his barking laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(You idly think the combination is endearing.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You end up only interjecting a few times, but that’s fine. You simply wanted to know more about the mysterious sheriff, and you’re glad that he seemed to have fun. (Maybe he’s not so mysterious at all.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It gets dark, so he stands and thanks you for the tea. Mao Mao shakes your hand to do so, and for some reason, he suddenly seems shy. You have to stifle a chuckle—how cute. The hero bashfully scratches his head in a goodbye, and with a leap, he’s flying back to his base in strides.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You admire the gradually shrinking cape as it ruffles in the wind. You must’ve been touching your hair unconsciously, because you notice something tucked behind your ear. You pull it out to find a daisy.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
  <em>
    <span>What the heck.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>It hits you for the first time that he’s not just a sheriff, but a cute cat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You find that Mao Mao is not just a sheriff, but someone you really enjoy talking to.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When he makes his rounds, he’ll stop when he sees you and go over to say hi. He’ll ask you to wait after he gives another ticket, then hop over to join you for a few blocks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ripping out violations from his notebook and sticking them to walking passerby’s is as easy as breathing for him. You’re kind enough to wait again when he has to do some proper scolding, like when Pinky is ripping out the plumbing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’ll then wave goodbye with a toothy grin, and dash off to the next scene of crime.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(You always walk away feeling warm and refreshed.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s just as enchanting as ever. You have the common sense to run away from the fights (unlike some Sweeties), and Mao Mao makes sure to commend you for it later on. There are times where you get to see him in action though, and even yards away, he’s amazing. He dances with the air as he spins his sword and slices rows of enemies down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You’re lucky (or unlucky) enough to catch it up close at times. He’ll catch a fist that’s coming down, and maybe it’s karma rewarding you for a near death experience, but even as he shakes with tension, he doesn’t forget to throw you a wink or to blow you a kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You hate that you’re blushing as you run away for your life.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(He’s not just a sheriff, but a man wanting to be loved.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It slips.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It slips like a drop of lemon into tea, and you can’t take it back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It’s all because of the stupid </span>
  <em>
    <span>Mao Mao Revamp</span>
  </em>
  <span> thing, and you don’t understand why he’d do something so </span>
  <em>
    <span>idiotic.</span>
  </em>
  <span> (But you know him, so you </span>
  <em>
    <span>do</span>
  </em>
  <span> understand, y</span>
  <em>
    <span>ou know what he’d do</span>
  </em>
  <span>—)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was all fun and games until the trash started to burn, and so you rip the stupid headband off his head. “Is this really how you want to be seen?” you ask, irritated and desperate all at once.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But they love me this way,” he pleads, desperate himself. “They like the shirts and the songs, and Muffins said that the cape was distasteful—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I think the cape is sexy!” You exclaim, and there’s a poignant pause that comes afterwards.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You…” he begins, but you don’t give him the time to finish. Face ablaze, you storm off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(Needless to say, you are relieved when he returns back to normal that evening.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s always been so mesmerizing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But tonight you realize that he is not just a sheriff; he is a mortal, just like you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gash in Mao Mao’s side is severe, and even though it is not your own blood, you feel the world spin. “What happened?” You ask, tears beading in your eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He limps over, sharp teeth glinting in a weak smile. “Just a minor scratch,” he answers, voice rugged and low. You shake your head in disbelief.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No—no. You’re going to the hospital right now—“</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The hand that grabs your arm startles you, and you feel sick at the sticky warmth on your skin. “No,” he whispers, hoarse. “I promise it will be okay.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His green eyes are so bright and shiny, and they beg you not to be worried.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You’ve always known he was a hero. You’ve always wanted to believe he was invincible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>But the truth is there before your eyes: he’s no Phoenix, no angel, no legend—no matter how many times he claims. He still has blood running through his veins, hot and red and vulnerable, like anyone else.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>(If he falls, he rises, multiple, many times, but he won’t return from ashes.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And so you kiss him. You take his face in both your hands and kiss him, as if this was his last breath, as if this was the last time you would see him. At first, he’s limp in your hands, tense—you know he’s surprised. But the next moment, it’s as if a new energy courses through him— he kisses you back with passion, biting your lip and plunging his way into your mouth, hot tongue eager to taste everything about you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everything is burning, dizzying—you’re overwhelmed with the way his hand grabs as your waist and how he pulls you impossibly closer. He swallows the sounds you make, yet consumes you to get more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Finally, the two of you part, hot breaths intermingling and saliva still connecting the both of you.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Please— don’t die.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Those green eyes soften, and he kisses you again, gentle.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I won’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a visit to Camille’s, Mao Mao is significantly better. With a bit of </span>
  <em>
    <span>magical solutions</span>
  </em>
  <span>, he’s speedily recovering; the gash in his side is almost gone, and any leftover injuries are wrapped up and healing. Magic isn’t perfect though (as Camille explained), and so the cat suffers from a lot of soreness and pain as if the wounds were still there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ha ha,” you said as a tease.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He retaliated by turning your head and kissing you, so.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You invite him for tea at your cafe, and for the sake of giving Mao Mao some rest, you closed it for a few hours. He didn’t need the Sweeties swarming him with questions. (And you know how being seen with bandages would hurt his pride.)</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He’s pouring himself some ginger tea when he winces and spills some of it on his robe. You immediately drop the sugar and lemon you were carrying to the table and rush over to him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Careful, are you hurt?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He chuckles, and something knots in the middle of your throat when he starts undoing his robe. “My clothes are pretty thick, so I didn’t feel it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You can’t tear your eyes away as he drops the dang thing to the floor. His bandaged side and arms are now exposed, and something about them is sobering, but at the same time— incredibly hot.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His eyes are piercing when you finally manage to face him again. “You know,” he murmurs, voice low, “we didn’t really get to finish what we started.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your chest tightens, your heart drums in your ear, and you can’t do anything but freeze as he takes your chin and leans down to your crouched self—</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ow!” He flinches back into his chair, and startled, you stand and take his shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mao Mao, are you—?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, it’s fine,” he insists, pushing off your hand. “It’s just the magic, remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You hesitate, unsure. The sheriff’s face scrunches into frustration, and he turns away. You have to hide a smile— he was undoubtedly pouting. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mao Mao,” you coo, but he turns his face again.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You try again. “Mao Maooooo—“ You reach out to teasingly hold his cheeks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Immediately, the cat snarls, and he grabs you by the wrist. He jerks you close, causing you both to topple the chair and fall onto the ground. Mao Mao lands with a resounding </span>
  <em>
    <span>thump!</span>
  </em>
  <span> and a low groan. You have to brush your long hair back to find he’s softened your fall.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Mao Mao,” you gasp, scandalized, but his arm wraps around your waist and keeps you down.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Stay,” he grumbles. “I—I just want you to stop babying me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Your eyes go soft. “I’m not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then kiss me.” Green eyes stare up at you, daring. “I don’t want you to baby me whenever I get hurt, because I swear I’ll do it again as long as it keeps you safe.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>You feel your cheeks warm, but Mao Mao is relentless. His other hand reaches up and strokes your cheek. Softer: “Kiss me… please.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unwilling to wait anymore, unable to say no to those green eyes, you lean down and oblige him. He smiles into the kiss (you both do), and it’s not long until your mouths open and your tongues glide against each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His pain is definitely evident. He winces and grunts, and he’ll sometimes bite you a little harshly. (He always apologizes, but it stings in a good way.) And it’s nothing in comparison to the way his groan will turn into a pleased sigh in the kiss.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>You kiss like that, for who knows how long, and your heart bursts when he murmurs, “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Today, you realize something about your sheriff— he’s absolutely and undoubtedly yours.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this was something that was written A) as a joke B) to see if I can even write 1000 words because I always fall short</p><p>but here it is</p><p>p.s. mao mao was eager to take off his clothes at the end b/c he wanted to seduce u</p></blockquote></div></div>
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